After complaints from some condominium owners in his luxury Portofino Island Resort complex, developer Robert Rinke said Tuesday that he will cover the extra $280,000 needed to build a public, beachfront bathroom.

Rinke said the Portofino Board of Directors will also send registered letters to each of the 765 Portofino owners asking them to vote on whether they want the bathroom to be built.

"I want what the 765 owners want. If they truly do not want a bathroom, we won't build it," he said.

Rinke said he has heard from about 14 owners who do not want the bathroom.

"But with 2,000 to 3,000 people on that beach, I think we need it from a sanitary standpoint," he said, explaining the bathroom would be the only one in the immediate area.

Rinke proposed the 900-square-foot bathroom in 2016. At the time, the Santa Rosa Island Authority had agreed to spend about $750,000 on the project from a special fund created by lease fees paid by Portofino residents.

But construction bids came in much higher than anticipated. After twice putting the project out to bid, the authority in May agreed to table the project. Authority members said they would reconsider the bathroom if Rinke or the Portofino owners wanted to pay the additional construction costs.

Plans call for the bathroom to tie in architecturally with the look of the Portofino towers. Paolo Ghio, director of the Island Authority, has said some of the extra costs of construction are related to "lipstick," which he defined as tiles and other materials that match the aesthetics of Portofino.

"We wanted to reflect the architecture and the quality of Portofino," said Rinke, who added the bathroom would be built to withstand hurricanes. Rinke said he would pay up to $280,000 in additional cost using his developer's fund.

"The money will come directly from us, and there will be no homeowner money going into it at that point. It should be a win-win for homeowners," he said.

Some Portofino owners have said they want the bathroom, but do not want to be assessed the extra cost of construction by their homeowner's association. But Portofino owner Sharon Renton said she doesn't want a bathroom on the beach in front of her unit, regardless of who pays for it.

"It is going to be an eyesore," said Renton, who owns two units in the Portofino complex.

Renton said she also fears the bathroom will attract even more people to the busy beach.

Maria Byrne, another Portofino owner, said she plans to present a petition against the bathroom signed by another 50 owners to the Island Authority on Wednesday night.

Byrne said she is concerned about who will maintain the bathroom and whether the owners will have to cover that expense.

"We hope that if the SRIA members hear from us directly, they will not move forward this," she said.

Portofino owner Buddy Brothers is also opposed to the bathroom. Brothers said he is worried the bathroom could lead to lawsuits against the homeowner's association from anyone who sustains an injury in any way related to the bathroom.

"As far as I am concerned, it is a liability for all of us," he said.

Pensacola Beach is unique because it was deeded to Escambia County after World War II. Under the deed agreement, the county was prohibited from selling the beach land.

To develop the beach, the county established the Island Authority. The authority is charged with issuing 99-year leases for commercial and residential development of beach properties.

To settle a legal dispute during the development of the Portofino towers 20 years ago, the authority agreed to create the Portofino fund from a portion of lease fees paid by Portofino residents. Rinke has a say in how the fund is spent.

In past years, the fund has helped pay for an open-air trolley to transport beach visitors and on the palm trees that line Via de Luna.

Melissa Nelson Gabriel can be reached at mnelsongab@pnj.com or 850-426-1431.